Preview - Australian Grand Prix and 2002.

The wait is over. This weekend alarm clocks up and down the land will be set for the early hours of Sunday morning. The Formula 1 season is now upon us.

Almost five months since the 2001 season-ending Grand Prix in Japan, Formula 1 fans can begin a season's race watching. The season starts this weekend at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit.

The regulations may be the same for 2002, but there's certainly been more than a few changes elsewhere to provide interest and intrigue. The last race of 2001 was won, as the season was, in emphatic style by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. Testing has shown Schumacher to be quick in either this year's car, or last year's, which he will use for the Melbourne race.

If Schumacher wins the championship this year it will make it three world championships in a row for the German in an Italian car. He will also equal Fangio's five world championship titles. To win the championship first he must win races. Starting with last year's car might seem unusual but there are many good reasons for it. ''The most important thing in the first race of the season is to finish, because points from the beginning of the season can be decisive at the end of it'' Schumacher has told the press.

There have been quite a few changes with drivers and teams. Significantly there's no Mika Hakkinen. The man most likely to take the challenge to Herr Schumacher will not be bringing his deadpan wit to post race press conferences this year. His departure means that Schumacher faces only one former world champion opponent, Jacques Villeneuve, this year. Other notable absences are Jean Alesi, Jos Verstappen and Alain Prost and his eponymous ?quipe. Significantly, for F1 fans attempting to stay awake in the early hours to watch the GP, there'll be no Murray Walker soundtrack to the races.

Big news has to be the fact that Ferrari will be starting the season with last year's car. Last year the car came fourth at the Albert Park circuit. It's had a year's development done on it since then and has proved still to be force in testing. Its engine will be last year's 050 design but it does have some developments from the F2002's 051 lump. Time will tell, but this could be a shrewd move from the Maranello concern. The first race of the year is often marked by unreliability as the cars are put through their paces for the first time in true race conditions. By using last year's car, which won the championship remember, Ferrari might have the best of both worlds. A solid, reliable and quick car for the start of the season, with time to develop the faster but untested F2002 to bring in a couple of races down the line.

McLaren could well have an interesting season. Shorn of Mika Hakkinen, for so long a part of the Woking team's fabric, it now must surely be David Coulthard's best chance to go for gold. The MP4 17 looks impressive, as you'd expect from Adrian Newey and his team. For Coulthard this must be a crucial year for his title aspirations. He has been criticised talking up his chances every year. Indeed, if you believe the hype, he seems to have improved so much since his debut that there must be questions of how good he actually was to start with. His F1 career has run from the 1994, and the machinery has always been at the front of the field, yet it has always been his teammate who challenged for the world championship, whether it be Hill or Hakkinen. Even against a tired Hakkinen in 2001 he did not blow him away. 2002 really has to be the year that Coulthard silences the critics and gets the job done.

If Scot doesn't impress then the young upstart Finn, Raikkonen is sure to be there to surprise with his speed and talent. The increase in pressure and focus on the Finn from being at a top team is sure to be tempered by the fact that he will be driving one of the very best cars on the grid. Unlike Jenson Button, who impressed on his debut season then had to drive an ill-sorted and slow Benetton in his second season, Raikkonen's second season is in a team with the knowledge and backup to make the very best of the driver. And the car is sure to be good.

Then there's WilliamsF1. Though they have not won the drivers title since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, they had a most impressive 2001. With Ralf and Juan, Schumacher and Montoya, they arguably have the strongest driver pairing. With BMW they allegedly have the most powerful engine. Williams are none too shabby at knocking together a chassis and Michelin will be ever building on their impressive return to F1 last year.

The battle between the two Williams drivers is likely to be fascinating. Montoya received all the hype and attention last year, which was understandable given that it was his first season in F1, whereas Ralf has been there since 1997. This should develop nicely in their second season together, with sniping between them already appearing in the press. Hopefully it should yield some great driving and even more wins from the pair.

Spicing up the grid there are two new teams in F1 this year. One entirely new, one more of a rebadging exercise. Toyota is an all-new effort. Like Ferrari they make the chassis and engines themselves. Also like Ferrari they have an almost limitless budget. Last year was spent refining and developing the team. Their new car has been designed by ex-Ferrari man Gustav Brunner who more recently performed miracles at Minardi on a budget akin to what Toyota must spend on coffee in a year.

For drivers Toyota have a strong pairing. Mika Salo all but won a race for Ferrari when he stood in for a broken legged Michael Schumacher, but had to let Eddie Irvine through for his shot at the 1999 title. Scot Allan McNish was driving a red and white Formula 1 car around more than a decade ago when he was the test driver for a Marlboro liveried McLaren. With a wide depth of experience he is expected to put in some solid performances.

Renault, on the other hand, is more familiar. The Benetton team is now no more and last year was seen as a development year for the 111? Renault powerplant. Now fully Renault named there is a greater issue of company pride at stake, and Renault's history in F1 is good to say the least. Between 1991 and 1997 they won 11 of the 12 titles available (drivers and constructors). They weren't too bad in their last stint as a full works entry either; the last time a full Renault entry was seen in F1 was 1985.

Both Toyota and Renault are playing down their chances for success in 2002, eager, no doubt, to avoid the BAR Syndrome where big budget newcomer's vociferous proclamations of immanent success are met by considerable amounts of egg on the corporate face when it all goes horribly wrong. Flamboyant team chief Flavio Briatore has even gone to the extent of saying about race win predictions: ''No way, it's like expecting to go have lunch on the moon. We are not there. Only a dreamer believes that we will win races in the condition we are in. No way.'' And it's certainly true that giant steps are what it will take for Renault to walk on the moon.

However the car did improve measurably at the tail end of 2001. Jarno Trulli is highly accomplished, especially in qualifying, and Jenson Button should hopefully have buried his nightmare 2001 season with the remnants of the old Benetton livery.

Favourites and new teams dealt with, it's time to look at the midfield protagonists and the likely tail end Charlies. Sauber finished forth in 2001 and have retained Nick Heidfeld for his third season in F1. Using last year's Ferrari engine, Sauber usually perform well at the beginning of the season. Last year they managed to retain this momentum through the whole season to finish fourth in the overall standings. Impressive testing results mean that a lot could be expected of the Swiss team. New boy Felipe Massa, if he continues his testing form, should prove fast both on the track and into the barriers. Heidfeld could well pop up on the podium at some point in the season.

Jordan will be hoping that their new DHL sponsorship will be enough to deliver them to the front of the field. Developments should come on strong through the year, but don't expect too much in the early races. Giancarlo Fisichella is sure to give his all through the season, and is a formidable driver - just ask Ralf Schumacher, Alex Wurz or Jenson Button. Takuma Sato, despite an impressive F3 campaign last year, seems to be taking his time to get used to the F1 experience, but could well prove to be the best Japanese F1 driver of all time as the season and his driving develop.

BAR could well be in for a trying season. Under the new direction of Dave Richards they could well prove to be one to watch as the season develops. Jacques Villeneuve is capable of spectacular performances but he seems to exercise his talent as often as he can be bothered to shave. If Richards is able to motivate the Canadian then expect good things. Olivier Panis will be pushing him hard and could well outshine the former world champion. What will be interesting to see is how Honda reacts if the Toyota concern begins to out perform the two Honda powered teams.

Arrows have always been able to develop a good chassis. Their 2000 season was particularly impressive with Supertec power and the driver pairing of Jos Verstappen and Pedro de la Rosa. Even in 2001 with the heavy and underpowered Asiatec lump Verstappen was able to muscle the car to the front of the field especially at the start of races and in the wet. Though they no longer have the hard charging Dutchman, they've replaced him with three-time race winner Heinz Harald Frentzen. Last time Arrow had a former Williams race winner, Damon Hill in 1997, they nearly won a race, Hungary, and even qualified on occasion on the second row of the grid. With their Cosworth power, to exactly the same spec as Jaguar, they could well give some surprising performances. The sponsorship money to secure development seems to be the big question here.

Sharing the same engine as Arrows is Jaguar. Niki Lauda signed the deal believing that the pressure could only benefit the Ford financed team. That was before the R3 turned a wheel. Still without its own wind tunnel and operating the fastest staff turnover in the pitlane, it's difficult to envisage too much success coming the way of the big 'Cat'. Eddie Irvine could go one of two ways. In the last season of his current contract, the self-proclaimed second best driver in F1 could be keen to prove his worthiness, especially to attempt to negotiate an extension to his contract and more cash. Or he could decide that enough is enough and cruise and collect his current salary. Either way, he has in Pedro de la Rosa an understated but undeniably fast team mate.

Then, realistically at the end of the field again, are perennial tail end charlies, Minardi. Operating on a relatively miniscule budget the team will have to rely on luck and chance for even a sniff of points. Mark Webber is an untested quantity in F1 despite his testing experience and Alex Yoong hardly set the world alight in 2001. Team owner Paul Stoddart is sure to be pushing the team all the way however.

Finally, Prost's script seems to have come to an end. The factory lies dormant and the workers seek employment elsewhere. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that someone could come along and get the team going again. Just not very likely. Equally sitting in the wings in case any of the drivers don't perform to expectation, Jos Verstappen is eager to get back into F1 as soon as possible, and is highly regarded in many quarters, not least by Michael Schumacher. Currently the Dutchman is been linked to a testing role at Sauber.

The second year of the Bridgestone/Michelin tyre war is another crucial aspect to the season. The Michelin man did especially well in its first season back to F1 and can only be seen to compound this, especially with McLaren now on board. Equally Bridgestone can focus fully behind Ferrari.

F1 could prove a lot more expensive than previously for the fans. Not just the increase in prices for the Silverstone traffic jam, but watching the Grand Prix at home could prove costly. Sky will be providing viewers the chance to see the whole Grand Prix uninterrupted by adverts with their new digital service. Fans of the award winning Eurosport coverage of 1996 will be pleased to see John Watson and Ben Edwards paired up once more. The cost for this privilege is ?12 per race.

No matter how you watch the season, the start is only a few days away. Enjoy.